Burma in 2012

2012 was an important year for Burma, a Southeast Asia country with a population of approximately 60 million and also known as Myanmar, with significant and dramatic changes. The Military regime that ruled the country for many decades devolved. The undemocratic constitution, which was adopted by force and fraud in 2008, came into effect through the 2010 election, which placed the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in power. Burma’s democratic opposition is now working within the new political system. The National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, has joined the Parliament through the by-election in April 2012. Ethnic politicians who boycotted the 2010 election have formed political parties and are prepared to stand in future elections. Workers are allowed to form trade unions  and peoples are allowed to stage peaceful protest  subject to advance permission.

President Thein Sein, a former general and who led the so-called civilian government, is now being praised by the people inside and outside the country as a pragmatic reformist. The Union Parliament, known as Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and controlled by active and retired military officials, is actively working and making laws. Hundreds of political prisoners were free. Media restrictions have been eased and private newspapers will be allowed to publish soon.  

Most of the ethnic resistance groups have entered into a ceasefire agreements with the regime, but the Burmese military, known as Tatmadaw, has been fighting against Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in Kachin State and Northern Shan State, since July 2010 resulting in more than 120,000 internally displaced persons.  Most of the ethnic armies want to continue peace talks with the regime collectively. However, their expectation to have a meaningful political dialogue and sustained political solution are far away from reality while they are forced to open their areas for economic advancement and development projects.  

Violence has erupted in Rakhine State, western part of Burma, between the Rakhine Buddhist community and the Muslim community, known as the Rohingya, since May 2012 and continued to this day with the great loss of hundreds of lives, thousands of houses and properties, and more than one hundred thousand peoples displaced.  

President Obama made the year 2012 more important and historic for Burma. He became the first ever sitting U.S. President who visited Burma by making a six hour visit to the country in November on his way to Cambodia to attend the East Asia Summit. Burma’s 2012 finally ended with the government’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, mostly Buddhist Monks, at the protest camps at the Mount Lapadaung Copper Mine in Monywar, Upper Burma , and the Burma army’s increased offensives at Liaza, KIO Headquarter at China-Burma border, with the help of fighter jets and attack helicopters.

We all wish Burma is better in 2013 and beyond. However, there are many challenges and obstacles ahead. There are three major areas without any changes. First, the judiciary system is still not independent and impartial. It is still working to serve the pleasure of the regime. Incompetent judges are running “kangaroo courts” with the support of corrupt and abusive law enforcement officers whose only way to get confession from the accused is detention, torture and manipulation. Many laws and decrees created by the successive military regimes to oppress democratic opposition are still active and being used.  Second, the country’s economy is still dominated and controlled by the military, crony capitalists, and families of the regime. There is no chance for ordinary citizens to compete with them on a level playing field. And third, the Burmese military is still above the law and dominant in the country’s political affairs with unchecked powers. There is no sign in sight that the Burmese military will stop committing human rights violations and come under the civilian control.

Burma’s Twelve Key Players

Twelve key players will decorate Burma in 2013 with various activities, positive and negative. They are (1) President Thein Sein, (2) Lower House Speaker Shwe Mann, (3) Commander-in-Chief Deputy Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, (4) Chairperson of National League for Democracy Aung San Suu Kyi, (5) The 88 Generation Students Group, (6) Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), (7) Karen National Union (KNU), (8) United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), (9) United Wa State Army (UWSA), (10) crony capitalists, (11) media and (12) the peoples of Burma.

.....(to be continued)

Prachatai's note: This is an excerpt of Aung Din's article.  Readers can download his full analysis in PDF attached below.

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Aung Din was a student leader during the 1988 popular democracy uprising in Burma and served as Vice Chairman II of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), the largest national student organization in Burma and outlawed by the military regime. Aung Din spent over four years in prison as a prisoner of conscience in 1989-1993, was released from prison in 1993, left the country in 1995and lives in exile since then. He served as Director of Policy and Strategy at Free Burma Coalition (FBC) in 2001-2003 and Co-Founder and Executive Director of Washington, DC-based U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB) in 2003-2012. He is now living in Maryland, United States and writing opinion pieces and articles regarding situation in his home country, Burma, also known as Myanmar.